The full-back is arguably the position that has evolved the most in football in the past decade.
There has been an increasing demand on what full-backs do in possession of the ball, both during build-up play in their own half and also contributing to attacking patterns in the final third.
Former Germany and Bayern Munich full-back Philipp Lahm was one of the first players to be used as an 'inverted full-back', and he helps us look at the rise of the modern-day full-back.
An inverted full-back refers to coaches altering the positioning of a full-back when their team have possession, so they are playing centrally as part of the midfield unit.
Pep Guardiola was a pioneer of this trend at Bayern. He inverted Lahm from right-back into midfield and he even switched him to a midfield role, such was his fluent adaptation to playing in central areas.
"At the beginning of the 2000s this position was interpreted much differently, in some cases much more defensively," said Lahm.
In forward play, it was all about orientating yourself on the touchline and crossing. Gradually, this position has changed due to the influence of coaches such as Pep Guardiola. The role of the full-back is now more variable and also more impactful for the team. The role has taken on a new meaning.
"When defending, it's about making as little space as possible for the opponent, taking up a lot of space and occupying it. When attacking, it's about utilising the space, creating as much space and as many opportunities for others as possible. And Pep was always trying to create new opportunities."
Read more of Lahm's opinions on Premier League full-backs here
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o67CZ5qopV%2BovbC%2B02iYq6yZmLmmv46coq9snqyAdLDNr6Y%3D